Dayid w



(NOMOM') D W sHoLES LETTER PENER.

Patented Apg/.15,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID IV. SHOLES, OF HAMPSHIRE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORIIO HIMSELF AND CHARLES H. BACKUS, Oli-SAME PLACE.

LETTER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,586, dated April 15, 1890. Application filed May 28, 1888. Renewed February 17, 1890. Serial No. 340,690. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID NV. SHOLES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hampsl1ire,in the county of Kane and State of Illi' envelopes.

The object of lnyinvention is to provide an envelope-opener of a simple construction Which will operate to out or sever a narrow strip from the extreme end or edge of the envelope without danger or possibility of cut ting or injuring the contents of the envelope.

My invention consists in the combination, with a gage for the edge of the envelope to abut against, of a stationary knife or shear and a movable knife or shear pivoted at one end to the stationary knife and furnished with a knob or handle for operating it and a spring for retracting it.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device embodying my invention,and Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof.

In said drawings, D represents the baseblock or frame-piece of the device, the upper surface of which serves as a table or rest to support the envelope while it is being operated upon.

H is the stationary knife or shear, secured in any suitable 1nanner-as, for example, by screws, as shown in Fig. Q-to the base-block D.

C is the pivoted or movable knife or shear, its lower end being pivoted to the base-block or to the stationary knife H. Y

G is the guide or guard, against which the end or edge of the envelope abuts. This guard serves to regulate the Width of the narrow strip cnt from the edge of the envelope by the shears C H. The guard G is secured by rivets or other suitable means to the knife H and projects slightly above its cutting-edge, as is clearly indicated in the drawings.

e is a slotted standard secured rigidly to ing-rod A. The rod A is furnished with a knob a and it is surrounded by coil-spring b, which serves to retract or raise the pivotal shear C after each movement. The operating-rod A is connected to the knife C by means of a screw ai', which fits in a slot c in .the end of the knife C.

S indicates the slot in the standards e.

The base-block D is furnished with a guidepin F to steady the movement of the knife C.

In operation an envelope is placed between the knives H C with its end or edge against the guide G. The operator by pressing on the knob a causes the knives C H'to sever a narrow strip from the extreme end or edge of the envelope, thus opening the same.

I claiinl. The envelope-opener consisting in the combination of base or frame D, stationary knife H, provided with guard G, secured thereto adjacent to its cutting-edge for the edge of the envelope to abut against, so that only a narrow strip or edge can be ont from the envelope, thus preventing the mutilation of the contents of the envelope, and a pivoted knife C, operatin in conjunction with said stationary knife, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of frame D, stationary knife H, pivoted knife @,guard G,operatn'1g rod A, having a knob (L and spring b,substan tia-ily as specified.

l DAVID XV. SHOLES.

Witnesses:

C. II. BAGKUS, G, E. SIsLEv.

the base-block D, in which works the operat-l 

